Cerebral palsy arm and hand brace

Abstract

An arm and hand brace for persons afflicted with the neuro-muscular tremors of cerebral palsy; a bracing device framing the shoulders, upper arm, forearm and hand which, in application, damps and controls involuntary neuro-muscular spasms and permits the performance of controlled, willed actions of these members by cerebral palsy victims; an articulated frame comprised of a support, a train of linked arms, a sleeve clasping the hand, wrist and forearm and a series of double and single element joints for establishing and maintaining control of gross and fine arm and hand movements in the cerebral palsy patient.

We claim: 
     
       1. A neuro-muscular stabilizing device for the human arm and hand comprising, in combination, a normally vertical post having normally upper and lower ends,   a sleeve adapted to embrace a human forearm having an inboard end (towards the elbow) and an outboard end (towards the hand), and a linkage means coupling together the upper end of the post and the inboard end of the sleeve comprising: (a) a first arm having inboard and outboard ends connected to the upper end of the post at its inboard end,   (b) the means connecting the said post and first arm comprising a double element friction joint,   (c) a second arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its inboard end to the outboard end of the first arm,   (d) the means coupling the first and second arms comprising a single element friction joint,   (e) a third arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its inboard end to the outboard end of the second arm,   (f) the means coupling the third arm to the second comprising a single element friction joint having extension limiting means in one direction, and   (g) means coupling the outboard end of the third arm with the inboard end of the sleeve comprising a double element friction joint.     
     
     
       2. A device as in claim 1 wherein each joint element includes a pair of circular facing elements having each a central hole therethrough, one of the circular facing elements having the hole therethrough internally threaded, a threaded bolt engaging the two circular facing elements and threaded into the said one element, and   a lock nut threaded on the end of the bolt.   
     
     
       3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the extension limiting means in one direction on the single element friction joint coupling the third arm to the second arm comprises a plate fixed to the inboard end of the third arm which has a portion thereof overlying the outboard end of the second arm. 
     
     
       4. A device as in claim 1 including means for adjusting the length of the first arm, wherein the first arm is length adjustable. 
     
     
       5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the first arm is made up of two parts, the first part being hollow and internally threaded, the second part being an externally threaded rod threadably engaged with the first part and a lock nut on the second part to fix the length adjustment. 
     
     
       6. A device as in claim 1 including socket means receiving said normally vertical post and means for fixing said normally vertical post in said socket. 
     
     
       7. A device as in claim 1 wherein each double element friction joint comprises a pair of closely adjacent, connected, right angle oriented sets of paired, circular facing elements, each pair of circular facing elements having each a central hole therethrough, one of the said elements having the hole therethrough internally threaded,   a threaded bolt engaging the two circular facing elements of each said pair and threaded into the one said element, and   a lock nut threaded on the end of the bolt.   
     
     
       8. A neuro-muscular stabilizing device for a human arm comprising, in combination: a normally vertical post having normally upper and lower ends,   an elongate, substantially rigid sleeve adapted to embrace a human forearm having an inboard end (towards the elbow) an outboard end (toward the hand),   a coupling linkage train connecting the upper end of the post and the inboard end of said sleeve, comprising: (a) a first arm having inboard and outboard ends connected to the upper end of the post at its inboard end,   (b) the means connecting the said post and first arm comprising a double element friction joint,   (c) another arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its outboard end to the inboard end of the sleeve,   (d) the means coupling the outboard end of the said other arm and the inboard end of the sleeve comprising a double element friction joint, and   (e) means coupling the inboard end of the other arm and the outboard end of the first arm to one another, the said means coupling together the inboard end of the other arm and the outboard end of the first arm including a pair of single element friction joints oriented in substantially the same plane.     
     
     
       9. A device as in claim 8 wherein one of said single element friction joints has extension limiting means in one direction associated therewith. 
     
     
       10. A device as in claim 8 wherein each joint element includes a pair of circular facing elements having each a central hole therethrough, one of the circular facing elements having the hole therethrough internally threaded, a threaded bolt engaging the two circular facing elements and threaded into the said one element, and   a lock nut threaded on the end of the bolt.   
     
     
       11. A device as in claim 8 wherein each double element friction joint comprises a pair of closely adjacent, connected, right angle oriented sets of paired circular facing elements, each pair of circular facing elements having each a central hole therethrough, one of the said elements having the hole therethrough internally threaded,   a threaded bolt engaging the two circular facing elements of each said pair and threaded into the one said element, and   a lock nut threaded on the end of the bolt.   
     
     
       12. A device as in claim 8 including means for adjusting the lengths of the first arm, wherein the first arm is length adjustable. 
     
     
       13. A device as in claim 12 wherein the first arm is made up of two parts, the first part being hollow and internally threaded, the second part being an externally threaded rod threadably engaged with the said first part and a lock nut on the second part to fix the length adjustment. 
     
     
       14. A device as in claim 8 including socket means receiving said normally vertical post and means for fixing said normally vertical post in said socket. 
     
     
       15. A neuro-muscular stabilizing device for the human arms and hands comprising, in combination, a pair of normally vertical posts having normally upper and lower ends,   a pair of opposed sleeves, one associated with each said post, said sleeves adapted to embrace the left and right hand human forearms, respectively,   each said sleeve adapted to embrace the human forearm having an inboard end (toward the elbow) and an outboard end (towards the hand), and a linkage means coupling together the upper end of each one of said posts and the inboard end of each respective sleeve, comprising: (a) a first arm having inboard and outboard ends connected to the upper end of the post at its inboard end,   (b) the means connecting the said post and first arm comprising a double element friction joint,   (c) a second arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its inboard end to the outboard end of the first arm,   (d) the means coupling the first and second arms comprising a single element friction joint,   (e) a third arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its inboard end to the outboard end of the second arm,   (f) the means coupling the third arm to the second comprising a single element friction joint having extension limiting means in one direction, and   (g) means coupling the outboard end of the third arm with the inboard end of the sleeve comprising a double element friction joint.     
     
     
       16. A neuro-muscular stabilizing device for the human arms and hands comprising, in combination, a pair of normally vertical posts having normally upper and lower ends,   a pair of opposed sleeves, one associated with each said post, said sleeves adapted to embrace the left and right hand human forearms, respectively,   each said sleeve adapted to embrace the human forearm having an inboard end (toward the elbow) and an outboard end (toward the hand), and   a coupling linkage train connecting the upper end of each respective post and the inboard end of the sleeve associated therewith, said train comprising, in each case:   (a) a first arm having inboard and outboard ends connected to the upper end of the post at its inboard end,   (b) the means connecting the said post and first arm comprising a double element friction joint,   (c) another arm having inboard and outboard ends coupled at its outboard end to the inboard end of the sleeve,   (d) the means coupling the outboard end of said other arm and the inboard end of the sleeve comprising a double element friction joint, and   (e) means coupling the inboard end of the other arm and the outboard end of the first arm to one another, said means coupling together the inboard end of the other arm and the outboard end of the first arm including a pair of single element friction joints oriented in substantially the same plane.